Content Administrator | Penn State Department of Geography

Graphic for Penn State's 25th anniversary symposium featuring headshots of six speakers for the online geospatial program.

The Penn State Department of Geography will host a symposium titled “Real Maps That Matter in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” on Wednesday, July 16, from 8 to 10 a.m. PT at Sparks Gallery in San Diego, with virtual attendance available. The event marks the 25th anniversary of the department’s online geospatial education program and coincides with the 2025 Esri User Conference.

Dana Cuomo and Lily Houtman display a city map, part of their Harm Mapping Project to visualize gender-based violence on campus at Lafayette College.

Penn State alumna Dana Cuomo and graduate student Lily Houtman partnered to map student-reported experiences of gender-based violence at Lafayette College.

Graduate student Harman and undergraduates Laura and Maria work together at a computer

Doctoral student Harman Singh is giving back to the program that shaped her academic journey by mentoring undergraduates through the Department of Geography’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Connection (UROC).

Cristina presents her research poster at the AAG Conference

Cristina Elena Mihalache, a Fulbright Scholar from Romania, has spent the past eight months with the Penn State Department of Geography advancing her research in geospatial sciences and remote sensing.

The Penn State Department of Geography will conclude its spring 2025 Coffee Hour lecture series with a talk by Jessica Omukuti, senior research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and Oxford Net Zero.

Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) recognized exceptional students and faculty for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its annual Wilson Awards Celebration, held on March 30.

Brandi Robinson, associate teaching professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has received the 2025 Penn State Award for Community Engagement and Scholarship for her work on the Local Climate Action Program.

Erica Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography and ecology in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is the recipient of the 2025 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award.

Patricia Ehrkamp, professor of geography and College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor at the University of Kentucky, will deliver the Penn State Department of Geography’s annual E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Endowed Lecture at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11.